KIRO NEWSRADIO OPINION

Should government leaders have to pass cognitive tests to stay in office?

Feb 17, 2023, 4:23 PM | Updated: Feb 18, 2023, 8:02 am

cognitive tests...

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks before a screening of the movie Till in the East Room of the White House February 16, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Nikki Haley, as part of launching her campaign to become the next Republican presidential candidate, believes it should be mandatory for politicians older than 75 to take mental and cognitive competency tests.

President Biden was inaugurated 61 days after turning 78, and before him, former President Trump was 70 when he was sworn in.

“In the America I see, the permanent politician will finally retire,” Haley said during a rally in Charleston, South Carolina. “We’ll have mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.”

KIRO, KTTH hosts react to Nikki Haley’s bid for the Republican ticket

Additionally, Haley wants to enact term limits for members of Congress.

“With this whole mental cognizance testing for politicians, I think anybody who wants to run for public office and work in the government should have to prove their qualifications,” Spike O’Neill said on KIRO Nights. “Because I can point out quite a few representatives, both present and in the past, who I don’t think we’re qualified at all.”

Alongside the U.S. last two presidents, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is 80, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is 82. Even Patty Murray, the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, recently turned 72.

The median age of voting House lawmakers is 57.9 years, down from 58.9 in 2021-22. The new Senate’s median age reached 65.3 years, up from 64.8 in last year’s Congress.

“To be in public service, I think you should have to have some Schoolhouse Rock level knowledge of the American governing system in order to be a part of the American governing system,” Spike continued. “You know, how many branches of government are there? Has a bill become a law? How many people serve in the House of Representatives?”

Representatives have brought this idea up before, including Republican Senator Bill Cassidy telling Axios back in 2021 that he was in favor of cognitive tests for aging leaders of all three branches of government.

The discourse has ramped up in escalation throughout Biden’s tenure as president, with headlines ranging from the Washington Examiner’s “Biden’s mental sharpness is increasingly doubtful” to Des Moines Register’s “Joe Biden’s mental acuity is cause for concern” to The Washington Post’s “Stop Smearing Biden’s Mental Capacity.”

Amazon employees return to the office beginning May 1

“How about a game show? Put them on Jeopardy. A Jeopardy-like situation where they have to answer basic questions about the U.S. government, our history policies, what the current situation of current affairs is, based on fact,” Spike said. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have part of the vetting process not just be debates where you can get off zingy one-liners in sound bites.”

Listen to KIRO Nights weeknights from 7 – 10 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

KIRO Nights on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to kiro nightsTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 7 pm for KIRO Nights with Jack Stine.

KIRO Nights

KIRO Newsradio Opinion

book ban...

Dave Ross

Ross: Can anybody really ban a book?

For all the talk about a book ban, Dave Ross explains why he's never had any trouble getting any book he wants.

9 hours ago

seattle city council, 10 minutes election...

L.B. Gilbert

Gee & Ursula: Seattle City Council has been ‘way too dysfunctional’

The 2023 Seattle City Council election is gearing up with 45 total candidates registered to run across seven districts.

4 days ago

baby branding...

Dave Ross

Ross: Maybe more Americans should consider baby branding

According to Bloomberg, some anxious American and European parents have been hiring branding consultants to name their baby.

4 days ago

Rules for airline passengers...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

Gee & Ursula discuss the rules of the skies for airline passengers

With Memorial Day coming up, Gee & Ursula thought it would be a good time to take up the rules of the skies for airline passengers.

5 days ago

Pete Carroll Ted Lasso...

Gee Scott

Gee: Is Pete Carroll the real life Ted Lasso?

I wonder if the writers of Ted Lasso reached out to Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll at all when creating the show.

5 days ago

ross graffiti...

Dave Ross

Ross: This level of graffiti is like defacing the Great Pyramid

Dave Ross: Graffiti on the highways is bad enough, and to have it center stage at the city’s front door is taking tolerance too far.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Internet Washington...

Major Internet Upgrade and Expansion Planned This Year in Washington State

Comcast is investing $280 million this year to offer multi-gigabit Internet speeds to more than four million locations.

Compassion International...

Brock Huard and Friends Rally Around The Fight for First Campaign

Professional athletes are teaming up to prevent infant mortality and empower women at risk in communities facing severe poverty.

Emergency Preparedness...

Prepare for the next disaster at the Emergency Preparedness Conference

Being prepared before the next emergency arrives is key to preserving businesses and organizations of many kinds.

SHIBA volunteer...

Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options!

If you’re retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you!

safety from crime...

As crime increases, our safety measures must too

It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety.

Comcast Ready for Business Fund...

Ilona Lohrey | President and CEO, GSBA

GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund

GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund.

Should government leaders have to pass cognitive tests to stay in office?